Eyeglass-spring.



G. W. WELLS.

EYEGLASS SPRING.

APPLIOATION FILED oo'r.14,19o1.

946,748. Patehted Jan. 1851910.

WW9 g t I george W. Wells UNITED %TATE% Pratt-TENT FREE.

GEORGE W. ELLS, OF SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

EYEGLASS .T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon lV. iVIcLLs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a no i and useful Improvement in Eyeglass- Springs, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to eyeglass springs and more particularly to the shape and character of bridge springs used in eyeglasses.

My object is to provide a low bridge spring, that is to say one which lies close to the bridge of the nose in contradistinction to those which form a high arch above the nose, which is so constructed that the glasses attached thereto can be moved or bent out of alinement in a horizontal or a vertical direction or in a direction which is a compound of the two to a maximum degree without being subject to the risk of permanent deformation of the bridge spring. I have, furthermore, so constructed my spring that, although a very great degree of bending is possible, nevertheless bending beyond the limit of safety or to such an extent as to render possible a permanent deformation of the spring is absolutely prevented.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents an inner or rear elevation of a pair of eyeglasses equipped with the spring; Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, an inner elevation of a slightly modified form of spring; and Fig. 4t, an end elevation of the same spring.

In the drawings a bridge spring is shown which consists of a nose-bridge 1 adapted to fit more or less closely to the bridge of the nose and two figure eight bends 2 one at each end of the nose-bridge and which are identical in shape except that one is the exact reverse of the other. Each of these consists of an initial forward bend 3, made by doubling the bridge-spring on itself but leaving a small gap 4 in between, a secondary rearward bend 5 extended above the forward bend and a downward vertical locking bend 6 passing through the gap l. Below the initial forward bend 3 the spring is flattened at 7, bent upwardly and laterally upon itself as shown at 8 in Fig. i and provided with a screwhole 9 at the point of the bend for at- Specifieation of Letters ?atent.

Application filed Getober 14, 1907.

Patented. Jan. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 387,281.

taching the spring to the post 10 of the lensclamp 11 which holds the lens 12.

Figs. 3 and etshow a slightly different modification in that the portion of the bridge spring which constitutes the figure eight bend is swaged down to a smaller diameter so as to cause this portion to more readily respond to the bending action.

The character of the figure eight bend is such as to prevent it from being permanently bent out of shape owing to the fact that the downward vertical bend 6 passes through the gap a between the nose bridge 1 and the initial bend 3 thereby locking the various bends against any very great dislocation. As a result of this arrangement, when it is attempted to bend the eyeglasses out of their proper alinement by movement either in a horizontal or a vertical direction and beyond the position which is most suitable for attaching the eyeglasses to the nose the part 6 is adapted to contact with a portion of the forward bend 3 and thus prevent any further distortion of the spring which would tend to permanently change its shape. The shape of the spring is such, however, as to permit an extraordinary amount of bending of the glasses either in a horizontal or a vertical direction before the part 6 contacts with the forward bend 3. In this way a very wide range of movement is permitted obviating the necessity of great care in bending the eyeglasses preparatory to placing them on the nose, while at the same time any excessive bending which would tend to resalt in a permanent distortion of the bridge spring is prevented.

In the modification illustrated by Figs. 3 and i- I have made the figure eight bends of thinner material than the nose bridge so as to enable the same to be more readily bent than the nose bridge.

It will be seen that the construction, thus, is such that while a great range of bending is possible an excessive bending tending to a permanent deformation of the spring is prevented, so that it is practically insured that the glasses will always return to their exact original and intended form whenever they have been sprung apart for placing them on the nose. This is a very important factor owing to the very exact adjustment that is necessary in correcting the sight for astigmatism.

Changes might, of course, be made in the details of this construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

"What I claim and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An eyeglass spring comprising a nosebridge, bends extending outward and forward at the ends of the bridge, reverse bends extending outward and rearward at the front ends of said forward bends, and attaching portions for the spring, extending downward in the spaces between the forward bends and the adjacent portions of the bridge.

2. An eyeglass spring comprising a nose bridge, bends extending outward and for ward at the ends of the bridge, reverse bends at the front ends of said forward bends extending outward then rearward over said forward bends, and attaching portions for the spring extending downward in the spaces between the forward bends and the adjacent portions of the bridge.

3. An eyeglass spring comprising a nose bridge, return bends at the ends of the bridge, closed bends at the ends of the return bends the remote ends of said closed bends passing over the outer ends of said return bends, and attaching portions for the spring extending downward from said remote ends of the closed bends.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE VV. \VELLS.

Vitnesses PITT H. HERBERT, B. L. BUGBEE. 

